U.S. Navy attempts to transit Strait of Hormuz; conflicting accounts exist about what followed

(SeaPRwire) –   Multiple US Navy vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to a report from Axios that has been contested by an intelligence official and Iranian media.

Citing an unnamed US official, Axios stated that the crossing marked the first of its kind since the conflict broke out, and was not coordinated with Iran. Per the report, the operation saw the ships move through the strait from east to west into the Gulf, before traveling back to the Arabian Sea.

However, a regional intelligence official said that two Arleigh Burke-class US Navy destroyers attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, but were compelled to turn back after encountering threats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which also launched a UAV in the direction of the ships.

The incident took place around noon Dubai time, when US and Iranian delegations were holding negotiations in Islamabad, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters.

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon offered an immediate response to requests for comment.

Separately, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that the country’s armed forces tracked a US destroyer moving from Fujairah toward the Strait of Hormuz, and relayed the relevant information to the US via Pakistani mediators. According to Fars, the US vessel turned back from the strait after Tehran issued a warning that it would be targeted.

Pakistan is mediating peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, amid a two-week ceasefire for the hostilities that are now in their second month.